After two monumental entries into the Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi had a lot riding on it. Trying to stick the landing is always a high pressure job but with this final piece of the original trilogy, we are thankfully in luck. While it’s not as airtight of a story as its two predecessors, Return of the Jedi builds on the groundwork laid out throughout the trilogy to deliver a thrilling finale that emboldens the trilogy’s thesis on the power of hope.
The fight between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire is in its endgame. The Empire are building a new Death Star, Emperor Palpatine himself (Ian McDiarmid) overseeing its construction. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has advanced enough as a Jedi that he believes he is at last ready to face Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), who he comes to accept is indeed his father. But if the rebels, including Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), are to prevail then they must face a multitude of threats. Namely, the Tatooine gangster Jabba the Hutt and then the full might of the Empire on the forest moon of Endor.
Where The Empire Strikes Back decided to opt for a darker tone, Return of the Jedi somewhat returns to its roots. It’s noticeably more light- hearted than Empire, harkening back to the singular weirdness of the original Star Wars. One look at the occupants of Jabba the Hutt’s palace will reveal this, as it is populated with all sorts of bizarre alien creatures. Yet this adds a real sense of authenticity to the universe of this film. Even the smallest touches demonstrate this, such as when Luke, shortly after entering Jabba’s palace, has to kill a terrifying, monstrously fanged creature called a Rancor. But once the deed is done one of Jabba’s guards, a man without a speaking role, looks upon the dead monster and begins to cry. It’s implied that the Rancor was this man’s pet, of whom he was very fond of. Tiny details like this enhance the immersiveness of the worldbuilding, allowing us to feel as though we’ve been genuinely transported to this galaxy far, far away where many different people are experiencing many different things.
The continued championing of practical effects serves to maintain the film’s timeless originality. Whether it’s the model ships flying through space exchanging laser fire, the detailed costumes of the alien costumes – the Ewoks, for example, are a cute and wonderfully realised design – or the one tonne puppet that was used to bring the slug-like Jabba the Hutt to life, the film is refreshing in its reliance on real, physical materials to bring its story to tangible life. Special effects like green screens are of course used, and do stand out like a sore thumb on occasion, but it’s a healthy blend that emphasises the scale of the film’s ambition. Although director Richard Marquand wasn’t as visionary as George Lucas, or perhaps as character-focused as Irvin Kershner – he was allegedly more of a director for hire – his personal dedication to realism comes through with these visuals. It makes the action all the more epic and the setpieces all the more grandiose, traits which galvanise in an utterly spectacular climax. The orchestral excellence of John Williams’ score makes every moment that much more impactful.
But it’s in the characterisation and the conflict between hope and despair where the film’s true power comes out. Unable to follow the Jedi teachings, which would have him reject his familial attachment to Vader in order to eliminate him as a threat, Luke instead decides to try and bring him back to the light. In contrast, the Emperor wants Luke to turn to the dark side, heightening the drama on who will turn and what that will mean for the final battle between the Rebels and the Empire. The temptation for Luke to turn is certainly there. He understands the power that the dark side brings and even channels it to an extent in his final standoff with Vader. It’s a question on what our characters will choose in the end, all demonstrated through visuals choices and expressions as much as dialogue. Darth Vader’s mask prevents all expression from coming through yet, when he has to make his final choice, his head movements and the longevity of his pauses tells us everything without the need for words. The sequences between these three – Luke, Vader and the Emperor – in the iconic Death Star throne room are some of the greatest, most densely packed moments in any of the Star Wars films.
Through its enormous sense of spectacle, detailed craftsmanship, and thematically driven character arcs, we get an experience that delights with each of its twists and turns, the film basking in its own idiosyncrasies. Han and Leia’s relationship, now that they’re out of the awkward courting phase, feels stronger than ever, especially with Fisher and Ford’s natural chemistry. Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 (Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker respectively) get a plethora of light-hearted comedic moments, while the overt strangeness of the teddy bear-like Ewok creatures is charming where another picture might’ve made them irritating. That it all culminates in the payoff to the trilogy’s core thesis – that hope and solidarity will eventually triumph over despair and division – lends a resonance to the picture that has continued throughout the years since its release. It’s a blistering blockbuster that, like its two past counterparts, has a unique sense of timelessness to its storytelling.
That being said, Return of the Jedi is third in quality out of the original trilogy. Granted this is more down to just how brilliant Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back are, as opposed to any glaring faults with this film, but it does have its issues. As thrilling as its conflict between the Empire and Rebels are, it does take a bit of time to get there, with the segments pertaining to the rescue of Han from Jabba the Hutt perhaps taking up just a bit too much room within the story. As creative and fun as this portion of the film is, it does feel like watching a prologue to the main meat of the picture at times, something that perhaps couldn’t be helped given the open ending of the previous film. Some of the special effects, namely the use of green screen, haven’t aged particularly well, with the CGI inclusions of the special edition being borderline unwatchable. Furthermore, one particular twist involving a surprise connection between Luke and Leia, while interesting, does somewhat come out of nowhere, reducing its potential impact. The decision was an apparent last-minute retcon during the writing of the script and it shows, given the ease at which Luke makes the connection. Yet, when your story has this much cinematic splendour and thematic prowess, it’s beyond easy to dismiss these qualms and just enjoy Return of the Jedi for the ride that it is.
Although the original Star Wars trilogy, to this day, is placed on an impossibly high pedestal by overzealous fans and bad faith grifters alike, it’s still important to note what a milestone it was in mainstream cinema. It pushed the envelope in terms of what imaginative spectacle could achieve, borrowing from various corners of cinematic history to deliver a story on good versus evil that continues to resonate with people to this day. The films and stories that have emerged following this trilogy all have their highs and lows, but whatever comes next, even the most dissatisfied of consumers will always have this trilogy to look back on – something that Return of the Jedi solidified with its quality. Visually vivacious and compelling in conflict, with bucketfuls of fun at every turn, Return of the Jedi rounds off the trilogy superbly. That it continues to delight generations of audiences decades later is the sweetest treasure of all.
4 stars
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is now streaming about Disney+.
Learn more about the film, including how to watch, on the Disney+ website.
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